St. Joseph County DUI Records Search

St. Joseph County DUI and OWI records are maintained by the St. Joseph County Clerk in South Bend, serving one of Indiana's most populous northern counties. The county's courts handle OWI cases from South Bend, Mishawaka, and communities throughout the county, with records available through the state's MyCase system and the clerk's office at the courthouse. This page explains how to access those records, what the clerk provides, and how Indiana's OWI statutes apply to cases filed in St. Joseph County.

St. Joseph County Clerk of Courts

The St. Joseph County Clerk's office is located at the St. Joseph County Courthouse, 101 S Main St, South Bend, IN 46601. Call the clerk at 574-235-9635. The clerk maintains all official court filings for the county's circuit and superior courts, including OWI criminal cases. Records on file include charging documents, case histories, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and probation conditions. St. Joseph County is one of Indiana's larger northern counties, and its courts process a substantial volume of OWI cases each year from South Bend, Mishawaka, and surrounding communities.

The county's official website at sjcindiana.com includes a Create a Website Account feature that allows residents to manage notifications and track form progress for various county services. The site also provides contact information for the clerk's office, court schedules, and other county departments. For OWI case records, the clerk's office is the primary source for certified copies, case histories, and official court documents. Call ahead to confirm hours, fees, and what identification or forms you may need to bring.

The St. Joseph County Indiana homepage provides access to county departments, court information, and online services.

The county's website is a good starting point for finding clerk office contact details, court schedules, and other resources related to OWI case records in St. Joseph County.

Search OWI Records Online

Indiana's MyCase system covers all 92 counties including St. Joseph. Use the MyCase public search portal to search by name, case number, or other identifiers. Filter results to St. Joseph County to find OWI and other criminal case records specific to this county. The system shows charges, hearing dates, case status, and final dispositions. Most OWI records are public in Indiana and available through this free tool.

Records may not appear if they have been sealed by court order or expunged. Indiana's expungement law, IC 35-38-9, known as the Second Chance Law, allows eligible individuals to petition for expungement after five years for misdemeanor OWI and after eight years for Level 6 felony OWI. All conditions of the original sentence must be met, and the person must not have acquired new convictions. Once the court grants an expungement, the record is removed from the public MyCase search. The full list of OWI public records from St. Joseph County is available through the Indiana Courts Public Records portal.

OWI Law in St. Joseph County

Indiana charges impaired driving as Operating While Intoxicated under IC 9-30-5. A first offense with BAC below .15% is a Class C misdemeanor. First offense at .15% BAC or higher is a Class A misdemeanor. A second OWI within seven years of a prior offense is a Level 6 felony. St. Joseph County's superior courts handle misdemeanor OWI cases. The circuit court handles felony-level OWI cases. These cases are prosecuted by the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's office.

License suspension follows any OWI conviction under IC 9-30-6. Defendants who need to continue driving can petition for specialized driving privileges under IC 9-30-10. These court-issued privileges set conditions on when and where driving is allowed during the suspension period. Drivers in St. Joseph County with multiple OWI offenses may also be subject to habitual traffic violator status under IC 9-30-9. That designation carries a longer and more serious suspension that the Indiana BMV enforces. You can review your driver record and any suspension activity through the Indiana BMV portal.

Law Enforcement in St. Joseph County

Multiple agencies make OWI arrests in St. Joseph County. The South Bend Police Department and the Mishawaka Police Department handle OWI enforcement within their city limits. The St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas. The Indiana State Police patrols state highways throughout the county, including US-20 and US-31 corridors. All of these agencies file their cases in St. Joseph County courts.

ISP arrest records and incident reports can be requested directly from the Indiana State Police and are separate from the court records maintained by the clerk. The court record shows what happened after the arrest, while the ISP record documents the arrest and investigation. Both types of records can be relevant when researching an OWI case in St. Joseph County.

Legal Help in St. Joseph County

The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center provides free general legal guidance for people navigating the court system. The Indiana State Bar Association has a referral service to help you find attorneys handling OWI cases in St. Joseph County. Indiana Legal Services may help eligible lower-income residents with questions about court records, expungement, or related civil legal issues.

The clerk's office staff can explain the record request process and answer questions about fees and available documents. They do not provide legal advice but can guide you through what is available and how to request it.

Cities in St. Joseph County

Two cities in St. Joseph County have individual pages on this site:

• South Bend - County seat and largest city, served by St. Joseph County courts
• Mishawaka - Second largest city in the county, OWI cases filed in St. Joseph County courts

Other communities in St. Joseph County do not meet the population threshold for individual pages but are served by the same county court system.

Nearby Counties